Quiet-time patterns of discrete auroral arcs are compared with magnetospheric convection patterns for corresponding orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field. The position and orientation of upward field aligned currents predicted from the presence of shears and flow irregularities in the convection are shown to be similar to those of the auroral arcs. It is concluded that the quiet-time patterns are optical signatures of shears and flow irregularities in the magnetospheric convection.